Red Sea

All well here.  We have crossed the dotted line in the Red Sea where we can hope to encounter favourable winds.  We fear it is all going to be an upwind struggle from now on, and the most we can hope for are some calm spots. Took us 12 hours to travel 35 miles yesterday.  Progress is slowed way down by the steep head seas.  There  are just over 700 miles to go to the canal. I believe the rest will be like childbirth.  Each tack is one contraction less, at the end we go through a constricted canal during which we have no control over the boat, and then we are expelled into the med.

For today we are happily anchored in sheltered waters behind a sand island called Talla Talla Saqir, about 30 miles south of Suakin, Sudan.  Hoptoad is anchored next to us.  They kindly had an anchor spot scoped out and marked with a buoy as we made a near dark approach, and had us over to dinner.  They got here ahead of us as we had snuck into an anchorage one evening to hide and they were too far out to make it before dark, so they bashed into it all night.  So they were feeling very tough and superior. Will do a little playing today as it is Easter.

You may be surprised to hear that Neill is going to read the new testament - the Toads gave us a copy of it for Easter as it came up during our daily radio trivia challenge that we did not have a proper bible on the boat.  He says this may be a turning point in his life!!